title: A simple way to measure ethanol sensitivity in flies.
abstract: Low doses of ethanol cause flies to become hyperactive, while high doses are sedating. The sensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation of a given fly strain is correlated with that strain s ethanol preference, and therefore sedation is a highly relevant measure to study the genetics of alcohol responses and drinking. We demonstrate a simple way to expose flies to ethanol and measure its intoxicating effects. The assay we describe can determine acute sensitivity, as well as ethanol tolerance induced by repeat exposure. It does not require a technically involved setup, and can therefore be applied in any laboratory with basic fly culture tools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maples
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rothenfluh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000187:drug effects*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol